There's a Girl Who Holds My Heart
by Burst.ofSILENCE
Summary: Or: The First Time Percy Brings Annabeth to Montauk, because Annabeth might be the one with big dreams of building something permanent, but it's Percy who's already setting things in motion. Percy/Annabeth, Post-TLO. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

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><p><strong>There's a Girl Who Holds My Heart<strong>

Barely two months into their relationship, he brought her to Montauk with his family.

It was kind of a big deal because, for a really long time, the cabin in Montauk was just his and his mom's spot. When Paul came around, he was only granted Cabin Privileges when he became Sally's fiancée and knew about Percy's demigod heritage, both sure signs of him becoming a permanent member of the family. The Cabin was such an important part of the family that when he had brought Rachel to Montauk during the summer before the Battle of Manhattan, it was to a different cabin, nearly on the other end of the beach.

That he brought Annabeth to The Cabin was a telling sign that he was planning on her sticking around for a long time. And judging by his mom's knowing smile when he asked if they could invite Annabeth, he was about as subtle as a large billboard with flashing neon lights.

It was a bit embarrassing, yeah; but Percy couldn't bring himself to care very much. Here in Montauk, he got to be in his element and spend lazy days on the beach with the people he loved most in the world. Their days were filled with swimming and tanning, combing the beach for seashells and the occasional crab, and altogether being a happy family.

The most surprising thing about their vacation, though, was how much Annabeth seemed to enjoy being here. For a daughter of Athena, she sure had little reservation about being near the domain of her mother's immortal enemy. She'd spend the days in a green bikini top and jean shorts, chatting and laughing brightly with his mom as they shared stories and cooked hotdogs on the portable grill they'd brought.

Percy couldn't help but stare because, gods, his girlfriend was all kinds of beautiful and he was pretty sure he was falling a little bit further for her, and he already had it pretty bad as it was.

Was this how all relationships went? He and Annabeth had agreed to go slow, since this was both of their first times in this kind of relationship. Considering how this was a relationship with the girl who anchored him to the mortal world, Percy particularly didn't want to screw up. Besides, he was Sally Jackson-Blofis's son and the lady raised him right. That meant opening doors for Annabeth, asking her out to proper dates, the works.

But, gods, nobody told him how hard it would be. Nobody warned him about how consuming and dizzying and intense his feelings for Annabeth would end up in just two months. Percy had felt the pull of the tide before; but this was even stronger than that. He'd never known how it was to drown; but this seemed like a good comparison. Even now, as Annabeth stood on the beach and stared out into the sea, he felt his heart fall a little bit more.

But the thing that got him hook, line, and sinker, the thing that ensured Percy he was never going to resurface from this girl, was when she stepped into the surf and, honest to gods, looked like she belonged there. Percy swore the waves looked like they were embracing her, swirling around and playfully tugging at her ankles.

And then Percy realized the water really _was_ moving.

"Seaweed Brain, are you doing this?" She asked him, a delighted laugh escaping from her lips as the waves continued to swirl around her.

No, he most certainly wasn't.

Before he could voice his alarm, he noticed a man standing at the far end of the beach, wearing Bermuda shorts and a beaten-up fishing hat. The man's head was turned towards them. He looked at Percy, then out into the sea at Annabeth. Percy was suddenly reminded of last summer, when Poseidon had told him to know which fish were big enough to land. And even though he was far away, he could've sworn his dad winked at him before dissolving into a thin mist.

Percy's lips twitched upwards into a smile. Even though he wouldn't have changed his mind about dating Annabeth if Poseidon had something against it, it was nice to know his dad wasn't suddenly going to drown his girlfriend. Especially since it seemed like Percy was far more smitten with her than he originally thought.

That night, as they were taking a walk after dinner, his big mouth couldn't help but point out the way his heart could barely hang onto his sleeve.

"Hey, Annabeth, what would you do if I—I mean, someone told you they loved you?"

"That depends on the kind of love, I guess." She replied.

"What about the kind of love that's… you know…love."

"Oh, the _love _love kind, huh?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her trying to hide a smile.

"Seriously? Are you going to laugh at me every time I do something like this?" He complained.

"I'm not laughing at you!" She said; but her lips betrayed her and a giggle escaped. Annabeth's cheeks were pink under the moonlight as she bit her lower lip in a futile attempt to hold back a smile. He groaned.

"You totally are! I know you said you weren't going to make things easy for me, but could you be a little nicer? This isn't exactly easy, you know."

"Why? You've got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?" She asked playfully, bumping his hip with hers.

He stopped walking and turned to face her, prompting her to do the same. He gently took her wrists in his hands. Annabeth twisted her wrists so that the tips or her fingers brushed against his arms. She gave him an encouraging – albeit nervous – smile.

Percy took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. "Don't freak out," he began, because it was one thing to talk about hypothetical-non-hypothetical feelings, but dropping the pretense brought things to a whole new level, "but I think I might be falling in love with you."

He wasn't sure just what kind of reaction he was expecting from her; but the way she basically froze and the unreadable look in her eyes had his stomach sinking. As much as she'd been teasing him before, he realized she didn't think he would actually say it. Before he could dwell on what that could mean, she'd already closed the distance between them, and his vision was reduced to a blur of blond curls. Annabeth hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around her as he felt her press a kiss to his collarbone.

"Gods, you're so sweet." She pulled away, biting her lip again. "I… I'm not sure I can say it back right now. I just—I need to be sure."

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't say it to pressure you into saying it, too. I just wanted you to know."

"Still, I'm sorry—"

"Don't be."

"—But you should know that I care about you." She said, cupping his jaw and used that to pull him down until their foreheads were touching. "A lot, actually. And I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon."

Percy didn't say anything. He just nodded, smiled, and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry for laughing at you." She blurted out.

At that, he broke into guffaws, and the two of them continue their walk along the beach, hand-in-hand.

He wouldn't hear her say those three words until eight months later, when she'd blurt it out on a dock in Charleston once they'd finally been reunited after Hera had kidnapped him.

But for now, he had this moment: Montauk, his family, Annabeth, and a sign from Poseidon himself that Annabeth was someone Percy should never let go of.

And if Sally or Paul or even Poseidon noticed how he and Annabeth spent a large portion of that weekend sneaking kisses behind sand dunes and at the bottom of the ocean, the adults said nothing.

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><p><strong>Review!<strong>


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